Apparatus for peeling labels from a backing strip



APPARATUS FOR FEELING LABELS FROM A BACKING STRIP Original Filed Oct. 27, 1964 Se t 22, WW E. E. MESSMER 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS 7 ATTORNEYS 3,530,028 APPARATUS FOR FEELING LABELS FROM A BACKING STRIP Original Filed Oct. 2'7, 1964 2 She ets-Sheet 2 INVEATOR. HIM/1W fiISS/WEIQ E. E. M ESSM E R United States Patent 3,530,028 APPARATUS FOR PEELING LABELS FROM A BACKING STRIP Edwin E. Messmer, 203 Leonard Young St., Oradell, NJ. 07649 Original application Oct. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 406,727, now Patent No. 3,428,509, dated Feb. 18, 1969. Divided and this application Nov. 6, 1968, Ser. No. 773,742

Int. Cl. B32b US. Cl. 156-584 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 406,727, filed Oct. 27, 1964, now Pat. No. 3,428,509.

This invention relates generally to labeling machines, and has particular reference to an apparatus forming part of such a machine for peeling pressure sensitive labels from a backing strip which carries them preparatory to the labels being applied to the article to be labeled.

The invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view depicting the essential parts of a labeling machine incorporating the present invention, and their general relationship to one another;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the labeling machine; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of a portion of FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1, it is to be understood that the parts are shown in an exaggerated and simplified relationship, and that many parts of the framework and the elements depicted are omitted for the sake of simplicity of illustration.

By way of example, a substantially flat article 20 is shown supported on a conveyor composed of a pair of parallel belts 21 by means of which it is conveyed to a labeling station designated by the reference numeral 22. Mounted for movement toward the article 20, When it is at the labeling station 22, is an applicator 23 pivotally supported on a frame 24 mounted for swinging movement on a shaft 25. The frame 24 moves back and forth from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dot-dash lines. In the full-line position, the applicator 23 presents a suction face to a label that has been made available at a label pickup station.

In the apparatus illustrated the label supply is in the form of a continuous strip 26 composed of a translucent continuous backing on the face of which a plurality of labels are adhesively held in adjacent sequence. The strip 26 may be caused to emanate from a supply roll 27 and after passing through a series of appropriate guide rollers the strip reaches the series of rollers 28, 29, and 30 by means of which the labels are successively peeled from the backing and delivered to the label pickup station.

The chief elements of the driving mechanism are the main driving motor 31, transmitting its power through a reduction gear assembly 32 to a shaft 33. By a transmission chain or equivalent mechanism 34 the power of the main drive shaft 33 is transmitted to the shaft 25 via an electrically controllable clutch 35. A similar transmission 36 leads to a second electrically controllable clutch 37 by means of which a reverse rotation can be imparted to the shaft 25. A third transmission 38 from the main drive shaft 33 leads to an electrically controllable clutch 39 through which power is transmitted to the roller 40 which, in cooperation with the adjacent roller 41, pulls rearwardly upon the backing of the continuous strip 26, after this backing has passed around the guide roller 29.

The roller 40 is mounted on a shaft 42 from which a transmission 43 leads to the shaft of the roller 30, and a transmission 44 leads to the spindle 45 of a takeup device upon which the withdrawn backing, pulled upon by the roller pair 40, 41, is wound.

The supply roll 27 is preferably mounted upon a shaft 46 readily applicable to and removable from a pair of open bearings 47 (the opposite one not being visible in FIG. 1). The shaft 46 preferably carries a gear 48 meshing with a gear 48 mounted on a shaft 49 emanating from an electric brake 50 whose retarding effect may be regulated by a rheostat 51.

A suction pump or equivalent mechanism 52 is connected by an appropriate conduit 53 to a pipe extending axially through the shaft 25, then through piping 54 and other appropriate passages to the exposed label-engaging face of the applicator 23.

The shaft 25 carries a cam 55 cooperating with a switch 46 (the switch may also be actuated by a solenoid 103), a cam 57 cooperating with a switch 48, and a cam 59 cooperating with a pair of switches 60 and 61. An electric eye mechanism 64 is associated with the strip 26 in a region prior to the label pickup station, and an electric switch 65 is similarly arranged in association with this strip, having a feeler adapted to sense the presence or absence of the strip 26. Associated with the conveyor for the article or articles 20 is another electric eye device 66. All these switches and the electric eyes are part of the electric circuitry of the machine for controlling the clutches 35, 37 and 39, which in turn control operation of the applicator 23 and advancement of the strip 26.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be observed that a succession of labels 67 are arranged on the upper face of a translucent backing 6 8, these labels being slightly spaced apart as indicated most clearly at 69 in FIG. 3. The labels could, however, be butted, i.e., arranged so that the adjacent edges of successive labels touch each other. The labels 67, along with the backing 68, constitute the continuous label strip designated by the reference numeral 26. This strip passes beneath the roller 28 and the backing alone then passes around the roller 29. The roller 30 is slightly larger and has a roughened or iknurled surface. Cooperating with the latter is a pressure or "guidance plate 70. The eifect of this is to separate the adhesively held labels 67 sucoessively from the carrying strip or backing 68. More particularly, the roller 28 exerts a pressure which has a kinking effect, thereby facilitating the separation or lifting of the leading edge of each label 67; the roller 29 then severely and sharply reverses the direction of movement of the backing 68, leaving the label 67 free to continue advancement in the original direction. Almost immediately the knurled roller 30, in cooperation with the plate 70, engages the freshly-released label and moves it forwardly onto the platform 71, the platform comprising a series of spaced parallel ribs 82. If the roller 30 is rotated so that its linear speed is slightly greater than the linear speed of the strip 26, the action is facilitated, because the spacing 6 9 between succesisve labels 67 On the backing 68 can be held to a minimum,

yet adhesion or other undesirable interference of one label with the next is avoided.

The withdrawn and now useless backing 68 is pulled by the rollers 40, 41 and Wound onto the take-up device mounted on the spindle 45. A plate 72 is carried by the spindle 45 at right angles to the spindle axis. Projecting from this plate and extending in a direction substantially parallel to the spindle axis is a pair of pins "73 and 74. These pins are offset with respect to the spindle 45', and thus constitute a mandrel upon which the backing 68 may be wound. The winding is facilitated by the rotation of the shaft or spindle 45 through the transmission 44.

The applicator 23 in its rest position (shown at the left of FIG. 2) presents its suction face downwardly to the label on the supporting platform 71 at the label pickup station, and during the arcuate swing of the frame 24 the applicator retains this disposition so that when it reaches the label applying position (shown at the right of FIG. 2) it presents the engaged label downwardly upon the article 20. During this movement (from the label pickup station to the label applying station) the suction of the applicator free is gradually cut off, so that when the label applying position is reached the label is free to cling to the article to which it is applied.

The invention has been shown and described in preferred form only, and by way of example, and it is understood therefore, that many variations may be made in the invention which will still be comprised within its spirit.

What is claimed is:

1. In a labeling apparatus in which there is a supply of labels in the form of a continuous strip on which the labels are arranged in sequence, said strip comprising a continuous backing on which the labels are ad'hesively held and from which they may be peeled, means for advancing the label strip, and means for supporting the label strip during its advancement:

means for peeling the labels successively from the backing, comprising:

(a) means for sharply reversing the direction of movement of the backing, said means being a roller over which the backing is led, said roller being spaced ahead of the supporting means with respect to the direction of advancement of the label strip,

(b) means directly in advance of said reversing means for kinking the label strip to facilitate separation of the leading edge of each label, said means being an element for pushing the label strip into the space between the roller and supporting means so as to kink the label strip, and

() means for immediately engaging each separated label and continuing its advancement in the original direction.

2. In a labeling apparatus in which there is a supply of labels in the form of a continuous strip on which the labels are arranged in sequence, said strip comprising a continuous backing on which the labels are adhesively held and from which they may be peeled, and means for advancing the label strip:

means for peeling the labels successively from the backing, comprising:

(a) means for sharply reversing the direction of movement of the backing,

(b) means directly in advance of said reversing means for kinking the label strip to facilitate separation of the leading edge of each label, and

(c) means for immediately engaging each separated label and continuing its advancement in the original direction, said means being a roller arranged to engage the adhesive face of each label, and including means for rotating said roller so that its surface speed exceeds the speed of advancement of said label strip, whereby after the leading edge of a label contacts said roller the latter exerts a pull on the label in the general direction of its advancement.

3. The combination of elements defined in claim 2 wherein said roller is unsmooth so that only a fraction of the roller surface engages the adhesive face of the label.

4. The combination of elements defined in claim 3 wherein said roller has a knurled surface.

5. In a labeling apparatus in which there is a supply of labels in the form of a continuous strip on which the labels are arranged in sequence, said strip comprising a continuous backing on which the labels are adhesively held and from which they may be peeled, and means for advancing the label strip:

means for peeling the labels successively from the backing, comprising:

(a) means for sharply reversing the direction of movement of the backing,

(b) means directly in advance of said reversing means for kinking the label strip to facilitate separation of the leading edge of each label, and

(c) means for immediately engaging each separated label and continuing its advancement in the original direction, said means being a mem- 1 her having a surface arranged to engage the adhesive (face of each label, and including means for moving said member so that its surface speed exceeds the speed of advancement of said label strip, whereby after the leading edge of a label contacts said roller the latter exerts a pull on the label in the general direction of its advancement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,939,599 6/1960 Schluter 156-364 3,240,652 3/1966 La Mers 1 56-584 SAMUEL FEl-NBERG, Primary Examiner 

